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Meet Vini, the V8-powered second-generation Mini Hardtop

There are several ways to extract horsepower from a Mini Hardtop, and most are far more straight-forward than squeezing a V8 engine under the clamshell hood. And yet, at the request of a client, England-based EDM Racing is well into the process of doubling the retro-styled hatchback's cylinder count while making it rear-wheel drive. Amusingly called Vini, the V8-powered Mini started life as a 2007 Cooper S. It had a little over 100,000 miles on its odometer when David Power, the managing director of suspension bushing expert Powerflex, instructed EDM Racing to prepare it for an improbable engine swap. As mechanics stripped it to the bare metal, Power sourced a 4.0-liter, 415-horsepower V8 and a matching seven-speed automatic transmission from an E92-generation BMW M3 and began figuring out how to make it fit into a city-friendly hatchback delivered new with a 172-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. Installing the new drivetrain directly behind the front seats would have likely been the easiest solution from a packaging standpoint, but the team decided to keep the front-engined layout. The conversion consequently required chopping out significant chunks of the Hardtop's firewall and floor, so EDM Racing started by designing and welding in a roll cage to maintain the car's structural integrity. The firm then installed modified front and rear subframes from a Subaru Impreza to keep the four wheels in their original position, or as close to it as possible. Power stressed he wants Vini to look nearly stock, especially when it comes to its track width, meaning punching out the wheel arches Renault 5 Turbo-style was out of the question.  The V8 fits surprisingly well in the Mini's engine bay, and it keeps the car's weight distribution in check. Power originally considered using a Subaru-built flat-four or a straight-six from an earlier M3, but both would have put too much weight ahead of the front wheels. Installing the automatic transmission was more difficult, however. "Making it all work in an OEM fashion will be a challenge for sure, but no more so than the most galling part of the project so far: Chopping out a transmission tunnel wide enough to accept the Getrag. I was aware of the dangers associated with cutting too much away and removing integral strength from the shell in the process, hence why we tackled the job in set stages and with the cage [installed]," EDM Racing's Elliott Dunmore explained.

Next BMW X1 moving to smaller, lighter FWD-biased platform

BMW's decision to make the upcoming 2-Series Active Tourer front-wheel drive has been polarizing to say the least, but like it or not, that is the direction the company will go in the near future - one rumor put the number as high as 23 front-wheel-drive models for Mini and BMW combined. The next-generation X1 won't send all its power to the front wheels, though, when it launches in early 2016. While it will use the same platform as the Active Tourer, rumors suggest all models will use all-wheel drive - at least at launch.
A "high-ranking," unnamed BMW manager confirmed to AutoWeek that the new model will switch to transversely-mounted three- and four-cylinder engines and the same six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions as the Active Tourer. The new, smaller platform will allow for more efficient packaging, and despite the smaller size, interior space will remain comparable. All the changes should make it significantly lighter too.
Don't start wailing just yet because BMW surely won't be entirely abandoning sporty models. AutoWeek claims that the Bavarians are working on a higher-output version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with power closer to 300 horsepower, about a 72-hp boost. It's also rumored to offer a sporty version of the X1 that may be called the X2.

Man criticized for filming rather than helping road rage victim

A man from Cheshire in England was criticized on social media after he filmed a road rage brawl and provided color commentary for it instead of helping the victim. According to the Daily Mail, Alec Wall was traveling through Cheshire when he came upon a strange scene. A red Mini was stopped at a light, and standing next to it in traffic was a woman in a white dress. As Wall watched, the woman lunged for the Mini's driver's door, wrenched it open, and began fighting with the woman behind the wheel. While the women fought, Wall pulled out his phone and started recording. "Road Rage!" he shouted as he filmed. Apparently finding the situation extremely funny, Wall continued to film, giggling all the while and providing commentary on the scuffle. "Oh my God, actual road in a rage!" he shouted. Once he returned home, Wall uploaded his video to a Facebook page called Idiot UK Drivers Exposed where it racked up nearly 90,000 likes. Not everyone found it as funny as Wall did, however. Comments began piling up chastising Wall for his flip attitude and his failure to intervene in the fight. "How about instead of laughing and screaming 'road rage' like a moron you do something productive like get out of your car and try to defuse the situation? Use some intelligence..." said one commenter. "I really have failed to see what the camera man is laughing at," said another. "It looks to me like someone being seriously assaulted. Why is that funny?" There is no report on the cause of the incident, or how it ended. Related Video: News Source: The Daily Mail Auto News Weird Car News MINI road rage fight